Drapery support



Jan. 9, 1968 N. B. Rosr-:NBAUM DRAPERY SUPPORT @dim s. ,.m.

United States Patent O 3,362,462 DRAIERY SUPPORT Nathan Barry Rosenbaum, Baltimore, Md., assigner to Eastern Products Corporation, Baltimore, Md., a corporation of Maryland Filed .Iuly 30, 1965, Ser. No. 476,117 4 Claims. (Cl. 160-344) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLSURE A drapery fixture having a traverse rod with track means and master carriers mounted for movement along the tracks, one of the carriers having an upper wall with an elongated slot. An eyelet extends through the slot and slidingly engages opposite sides of the upper wall. A draw cord is mounted in the rod. A hook connected to the draw cord and having a shank extended through the eyelet is provided also with pivotal means cooperating with the eyelet for drawing the hook into the eyelet to releasably connect the cord to the eyelet.

The present invention relates to drapery supports, and more particularly to an improved master slide for a drapery support which will prevent the center, overlapping portions of drapery from parting after they have been drawn together.

In drapery support assemblies, it is frequently difficult to bring the drapery edges together in overlapping fashion and to retain them in such condition. Primarily this is due to the stretch in the operating cords causedby the force applied to them in drawing the draperies together. Upon release of the draw cord, the stretched cord returns to its unstreached condition and causes separation of the overlapping meeting edges of the drapery.

The principal object of the present invention has been to provide a drapery support including a master carrier construction which includes a member mounted thereon for limited reciprocable movement and to which the draw cord is releasably connected.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a master slide construction embodying a lost motion connection between the carrier and the reciprocable member.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such as master slide construction in which means is provided for releasably locking the reciprocable member on the master slide to the operating cord such that the member can be easily adjusted along the cord relative to the other master slide.

In one aspect of the invention, a drapery supporting fixture comprises a traverse rod including spaced bracket means between which extends track means along which drapery supporting means slide. There a-re pulley means in each of the bracket means arranged to receive an operating cord including a portion that may extend vertically along one side of the opening to be draped, over one pulley in one bracket and thence across the opening to a pulley in the other bracket, and back again to a third pulley in the iirst bracket, thence downwardly parallel with the vertically extending portion of the cord.

In another aspect of the invention, a master slide construction is provided for the overlapping end portions of the drapery. Each is attached to one of the flights of the operating cord that extend across the opening to be draped. These master slides are fixed to their respective flights of the operating cord such that when the cord is extended to its one limiting position, the leading ends of the master slides overlap each other in order to insure adequate overlap of the meeting edges of the drapery when the drapery is drawn closed.

In still another aspect of the invention, at least one of the master slides includes track-engaging means at ICC each end thereof for permitting sliding movement of the master slide along the track means of the traverse rod. The master slide also includes an elongated slot within one side wall for receiving a member adapted to slide between the ends of the elongated slot in the wall of the master slide.

In a further aspect of the invention, a hook means extends through the slidable or reciprocable member, and it is mounted for transverse reciprocable movement relative to said member.

In a still further aspect of the invention, an L-shaped link is pivotally connected to the shank of the hook means, and it is arranged to cooperate with the back face of the member that slides within the slot of the lmaster slide, so that when the link is pivoted about its pivot point, it will draw the hook member into the slidable member.

In another aspect of the invention, the hook member is connected to one of the operating cords when the L-shaped link is in its released position. Upon pivoting the link, the cord is securely fastened to the slidable member, and upon release of the L-shaped pivotal link, the cord is released from said slidable member.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the appended drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a drapery traverse rod to which the principles of the present invention have been applied, a drapery being shown mounted on the rod;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the operating cord mounted within the rod shown in FIG. 1, and showing a master slide, embodying the principles of the invention, connected to one of the ights of the operating cord;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 3-3 of FIG. 2, showing ahe releasable locking means of the Imaster slide in position locking the operating cord to the slidable member of the master slide;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of part of FIG. 3, disclosing the releasable locking means in released position unlocking the master slide from the operating cord;

FIG. 5 is a view looking in the direction along line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a view looking in the direction of the arrows along line 6 6 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view lof a detail of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, the principles of the invention have been shown as applied to a drapery rod 10 comprising track means 11 tha extends between brackets 12 and 13 that are rigidly mounted -on each side of an opening to be draped. The track 11 may be unitary in construction or of a telescoping nature for accommodating different spacings between the brackets 12, 13. The track 11 is of conventional design including vertically aligned, spaced ways 11A and 11B (FIG. 6) which receives conventional drapery supporting slides, the hooks of which are attached to the drapery 14 at points 15, as is well known in the art.

Referring to FIG. 2, the bracket 12 includes a pulley 16 and an idler pulley 17. The bracket 13 includes a pulley 18 Ias well as a pulley 19. An operating cord 20 has a vertical strand that extends from a suitable elevation on one side of the opening to be draped over pulley 18, thence across the opening to be draped, around pulley 16, over pulley 17 and back across the opening, over pulley 19, thence downwardly and connected to the initial vertical strand.

This construction provides an operating cord including an upper flight Z1 and a lower flight 22, which flights move in opposite directions across the opening to be draped when the corresponding strand of the operating cord is pulled. The operating cord may be a single closed loop or two separate cords. In FIG.V2 the right hand pull cord is designated 20 and the left hand pull cord is design-ated 201. Pulling the cord 201 closes the drape. n

A master slide 23 is attached to the lower flight 22. It comprises parallel spaced wall members 24 and 25 joined by a ledge 26. The wall 25 includes elongated slots 27 yand holes 28 for the reception of drapery hooks, as is well known in the art. The wall 24 is provided With guide means 29 and 30v at each end thereof which are received by the track means 11A, 11B (FIG. 6) within the rod 11. Members 29 and 30 may be made of plastic such as nylon or polyethylene in order to reduce the friction between them and track means 11A, 11B, and they include grooves 31 for receiving said track means. Wall 24 also is provided with an elongated slot 32 for receiving a member 33. Referring to FIG. 4, member 33 comprises a channel-shaped element 34 having flanges 35 adapted to slide along the back of wall 24. The member 33 includes an elongated aperture 36 which receives an elongated eyelet 37 that is rigidly fixed to the walls of aperture 36. The eyelet 37 includes a flanged portion 38 that slidingly engages the front face of the wall 24. The construction is such that the lmember 33 is adapted to slide along the wall 24 of the master slide between the ends of the elongated slot 32 therein.

A hook element 39' includes a hook portion 40 and a shank 41. Shank 41 of hook 39 extends through the eyelet 37 with the hook portion 4t) in position to engage the flight 22 of operating cord 201. Shank portion 41 of hook 39 extends rearwardly of the wall 24 and includes a pivot pin 42 thereon. An L-shaped lever 43 includes a bifurcated leg 44 that straddles shank 41 (FIG. 6) and is connected to pivot 42 for oscillatable motion. The other leg 45 of lever 43 acts yas a finger-engaging means. The construction is such that movement of the lever 43 clockwise (FIG. 4) causes it to assume the position shown in FIG. 3, drawing the hook 40 into the eyelet 37, thereby binding the operating cord against the flange 38 of the eyelet and securely locking member 33 to the lower part 22 of operating cord 20.

In operation, as the drapery is moved to the closed position the operating cord 201 is tensioned and hence is stretched. When the cord is released the tension is relaxed and the cord returns to its original length. Return of the cord to its original length will not, however, cause movement of master slide 23 since the change in length of the cord will be accommodated by sliding or reciprocating movement of member 33 in slot 32. This back-off action in the master slide occurs with respect to the drapery panel opposite the side at which the vertical runs of the operating cord are located. This is the left hand master slide in FIG. 2.

Referring again to `FIG. 2, another master slide 46 is connected to upper flight 21 of the operating cord. Master slide 46 is similar in construction to master slide 23, except that its parallel spaced walls 47 and 48 are separated by a ledge 49' of much greater extent than the ledge 26 of master slide 23. The wall 47 of master slide 46 includes elements 50 and 51 at each end thereof which are identical with the elements 29 and 30 on wall 24 of master yslide 23. All of the elements 29, 30, 50 and 51 engage the spaced track means 11A, 11B of the rod 11, and the design of the master slides 23 and 46 is such that walls 25 and 48. respectively, thereof are in horizontally aligned condition. For clarity, in FIG. 2, the master slides 23 and 46 are shown at different elevations. Wall 48 of master slide 46 includes elongated slots 52 and holes 53 for the reception of drapery-engaging hooks in the same way that holes 28 and slots 27 of the master slide 23 engage such hooks.

The master slide 46 includes a tab 54 that is struck from the Wall 47 and is in the form of a cleat. Tab 54 is located just below a pair of apertures 55 and 56 through which the upper flight 21 of operating cord 20 is threaded, and which cord is looped around the cleat tab 54. It is,

4 of course, understood that the master slide 46 can be attached to flight 21 in the same way that the slide 33 is connected to flight 22 of the operating cord. However, for purposes of economy it may be desirable to employ the cleat manner of engaging the master slide 46 to the operating cord.

While the invention has been described in connection with a specific embodiment thereof and in a specific use, various modifications thereof will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a drapery fixture, the combination comprising a traverse rod including track means, master carriers mounted on said traverse rod for movement along said track means, one of said master carriers including upper and lower parallel Walls joined by a ledge; an elongated slot in said upper wall; an elongated eyelet mounted in said elongated slot and including means for slidingly engaging opposite sides of said upper wall; a draw cord mounted for reciprocable movement along said traverse rod; a 'hook arranged to be connected to said draw cord, said hook including a shank ex-tending through said elongated eyelet; and pivotal means on said shank cooperating with said eyelet for drawing said hook into said eyelet thereby to releasably connect said cord to said eyelet.

2. In a drapery fixture, the combination comprising a traverse rod including track means; master carriers mounted on said traverse rod for movement along said track means, one of said master carriers including upper and lower parallel walls joined by a ledge; an elongated slot in said upper wall; an elongated eyelet mounted in said elongated slot and including means for slidingly engaging opposite sides of said upper Wall; a draw cord mounted for reciprocable movement along said traverse rod; a hook arranged to be connected to said draw cord, said hook including a shank extending through said elongated eyelet; and an angular element pivoted to said shank and arranged in one position thereof to bind said cord to said eyelet, and in another position thereof to release said cord from said eyelet.

3. In a drapery fixture, the combination comprising a traverse rod including track means; a master carrier mounted on said traverse rod for movement along said ltrack means, said master carrier including parallel upper and lower walls joined -by a ledge; means on said lower Wall for receiving drapery hooks; aligned means on each end of said upper wall for engaging said track means; an elongated slot in said upper wall; an eyelet mounted in said elongated slot and including spaced, parallel flange means slidingly engaging opposite sides of said upper Wall, whereby said eyelet can slide along the walls of said slot and be limited in its movement by the end walls of said slot; hook meansl having shank means extending through said eyelet; pivotal means on said shank means 'to draw said hook means into said eyelet; and a draw cord mounted in said traverse rod; said hook means being arranged to engage said cord and to releasably bind said cord to said eyelet when said hook means is drawn into said eyelet.

4. In a drapery fixture, the combination comprising a traverse rod including track means; a draw cord mounted for reciprocable movement along said traverse rod; a master carrier mounted on said traverse rod for movement along said track means, said master carrier including parallel upper and lower Walls joined by a ledge; means on Said lower wall for receiving drapery hooks; aligned means at each end of said upper wall for engaging said track means; an elongated slot in said upper wall; an eyelet mounted in said elongated slot and including spaced, parallel flange means slidingly engaging opposite sides of said upper wall, whereby said eyelet can slide along the Walls of said slot and be limited in its movement by the end walls of said slot; hook means arranged to engage said cord and having shank means extending through said eyelet; and an angular element pivoted to said shank means and arranged in one position to move said hook means into said eyelet, and in another position to release said hook means so that it can be moved outwardly away from said eyelet, said hook means, when pulled into said eyelet, being arranged releasably to bind said cord to said eyelet.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,876,526 9/1932 Kenney et al. 160-346 2,576,086 11/1951 Werner et al. 160-126 Rosenbaum 160-344 Rosenbaum 16C-345 Cameron 160-345 Arcuri 160-346 X Ford et al. 160-345 Salzman 160-345 X DAVID I. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

10 P. C. KANNAN, Assistant Examiner. 

